Dragon in the Moonlight
by MiniatureQuill
Summary: The students of Hogwarts have returned to repeat their lost year after The War, and finding their own ways of coping with the change. Draco is haunted by one series of memories in particular. But why only them?  Language and sexual references.
1. Welcome Back

"It's unusual, don't you think? That now everything is so ordinary again." Luna looked up from her cauldron, to face her friends, patiently awaiting an answer. There was a slight hesitation in the air. "I mean, here we are, back at school completing our NEWT preparations for Professor Slughorn, when so much happened last year. All those people who fought and died, and how much damage we created; remarkable really." Luna explained, added her last leaf of deadly nightshade and smiled.

"Bloody hell Luna, don't sugar-coat it..." Ron muttered bitterly without looking up from Hermione's copy of _Jinxes for the Jinxed_, who shot him a look from across the table that was both apologetic and silencing. He knew Luna didn't mean it like that.

"You know, Luna, I mean it's great that you're so eager and all, but don't you think you should study Potions_ theoretically_ in the library, as opposed to practical?" Ginny peeked over the edge of her potions book, exchanging worried looks with Hermione.

"Ginny's right, Luna, Madam Pince won't be happy at all if she catches you!" She had been quietly observing her for the past ten minutes, watching anxiously the slow simmer of the liquid in her Cauldron grow into a furious bubble.

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing" Harry attempted to reassure his friends, although his smile did waver slightly before he shrugged his shoulders. Luna returned his smile, before returning her full attention to stirring her brew in an anti-clockwise motion.

"Hey guys, it's about time to head down the Quidditch pitch, probably not the best idea if the team captain is late for his own practise," Ginny glanced at the big clock across the room. "...which, may I add, is stupidly late. Your team will not be happy with you at all if we miss dinner; and that includes me." She added playfully nudging Harry and throwing a ball of screwed up parchment at Ron. Reluctantly he rose to his feet, pulling at Hermione's hand with pathetic puppy-dog eyes and a crooked smile on his face. With a huff she also rose to her feet and traipsed behind her red-haired boyfriend. Ginny just rolled her eyes, and waved goodbye to Luna as she followed her teammates.

Luna, who had just finished bottling her bizarre potion smiled after them, and began packing up her things. "Reducio" she murmured quietly, pointing her wand at the cauldron, shrinking it down to the size of a snitch. She picked up the books she'd collected and began distributing them back to their original shelves.

Just as she turned to the first shelf on the left in the restricted section, she spotted a hunched, blond-haired figure sitting alone at a table in the corner.

"Oh, hello Draco, I didn't see you there. How are you?" Luna politely smiled at him. Startled, Malfoy jumped out of his daydreaming. When he recognized Luna, he quickly dropped his bloodshot gaze to the empty piece of parchment in front of him, the common wave of guilt washing over him.

"H-hello Luna. Fine thanks ... how are you?" He mumbled, daring a quick glance at her large, pale eyes. He suddenly found himself not being able to break her gaze out of utter bewilderment. Her eyes showed not a single glimmer of hate or vengeance, or disgust; they simply radiated kindness.

"Yes I'm quite well too. I've been very busy studying though, so that hasn't been all too enjoyable." He felt another gigantic wave of guilt wash over him as she held her petite smile, tilting her head slightly to the side. He broke their eye contact abruptly, frantically scrambling for quill and parchment and quickly shoving them into his bag, before mumbling a barely audible goodbye and briskly walking past her. Luna's gaze remained on the door a moment longer as he left the library, before she shrugged and turned on her heel. After returning the last few books to their original place, she smiled at Madam Pince, who simply gave her a hard stare.

On her way through the corridors Luna's thoughts drifted off, and she hadn't noticed that she'd almost walked straight through Nearly Headless Nick, who -after having an overly detailed description from Dean and Seamus on walking through a ghost- elegantly swooped out of her way. "Good evening, Miss Lovegood. What brings you so far away from the Great Hall at this time?"

"Oh my, pardon me! Good evening, Sir Nicholas." Luna curtseyed as she realised who had unintentionally interrupted her daydreaming. "I'm just on the way to the Owlery. I've made a fascinating discovery during potions class that I think my father would find rather intriguing." Nick bowed his head in response and smiled, and Luna did the same for a goodbye, before resuming on her way.

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><p><em>Shit.<em> Draco thought, as he flung his bag violently onto the black leather sofa across from him, before letting himself drop onto the other. The handful of wide-eyed first years sitting on and around the armchairs froze, before leaping up and scuttling away towards the dormitories, whispering excitedly, leaving him alone in the common room.

_Everyone else will be in the great hall for dinner by now,_ Draco concluded. Including ... He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

The last year hadn't been easy. He missed the easy life he'd had, his friends ... and his mother. Oh God how he missed her. There wasn't a waking hour in the day that passed without Draco thinking of how his mother was. Was she alright? He hoped his father was with her. She needed him. Not that he deserved her company.

Loathing rose from the pit of Draco's stomach like an unstoppable wave of nausea. He couldn't bear to think how his mother had always been caught in the middle, no control of the happenings around her. Always being the loyal wife; the supportive, following sister. And now she was paying for their mistakes.

It seemed like only seconds had passed, as Blaise and Goyle came crashing into the dungeons, in fits of cruel laughter about some prank they'd obviously accomplished during dinner time or on the way to the Slytherin common room. Their hysterical behaviour ripped Draco from his tormenting daydreams, and his gaze followed them as they staggered towards him, holding their sides in an attempt to withhold their stitches.

_Great, just what I needed. _Draco's face remained a blank canvas, silently waiting for his friends to quiet down. Expectantly, he cocked his left eyebrow.

A smirk crept over Goyle's chubby face.

"Blaise had this hilarious idea to mix some crushed up Puking Pastilles into Bullstrodes' bangers and mash when she wasn't looking; the fat whale chucked up chunks of sausages all over the floor before she even knew what had hit her! The Weasels might be a disgrace, but their products are bloody brilliant!" Goyle doubled over himself again, slapping Blaise on his back with his meaty hand, whose satisfied grin spread across his face. The corners of Draco's mouth curled up slightly as a congratulations, before excusing himself and pushing himself up from the cushioned leather.

"What's up, Draco? You can't tell me you're going to bed already?" Blaise looked at him quizzically. Goyle snorted in disbelief, raising an eyebrow at his blond friend.

"Yeah right," Draco scoffed, a little too enthusiastically. "Just gonna grab some dessert from the kitchen, I'm starved." he nodded in their direction before sauntering towards the large, common room doors.

_Well aren't you two bloody hilarious._

The Black Lake's surface reflected he moonlight like a cracked mirror, calm and broken at the same time. Draco stared down at his bare feet, letting the soles mould around the pebbles as minuscule waves lapped against his toes. He let out a profound sigh and took a few steps into the shallow water, soaking the cuffs of his black trouser legs. The combination of the icy water and bitter wind of early spring made him shiver and wrap his robe around himself, hugging his waist tightly. As he closed his eyes, he listened to the wildlife around him. In the distance, an owl let out a shy hoot, then another. The wind whispered through the bare treetops, rodents scurried over he twisted roots. Large rodents. Footsteps.


	2. This Day Just Keeps Getting Better

Draco spun around at the crunch of pebbles at the edge of the trees, every muscle in his body tense.

"Calm down, pretty boy, it's only me." Astoria Greengrass grinned, lowering her gaze as she sauntered towards him.

_Will nobody leave me the __**fuck**__ alone?_

"What do you want, Astoria?"

"Hmm, seems Goyle was right, you are in a foul mood. Aren't you happy to see me?" She pouted, half pretence, half meaning it.

Draco turned around and rolled his eyes whilst lifting his gaze skywards, before quickly spinning on his heels to face her again.

"Hey, aren't you getting cold feet, standing in that ice-cold water?" She nodded at his shoes and socks on a rock a few yards away, keeping her gaze fixed on him. "You're insane Draco Malfoy, you know that? Coming out here past curfew, just to stand in the freezing cold." She took a step forward. "Here, let me warm you up a bit." She closed the small gap between them, getting the soles of her shoes wet and wrapping her arms around Draco's neck, pulling his face closer and placing her lips onto his.

_Jesuschrist woman._

Her kiss was firm and dictating, yet playful as she teased his bottom lip between her teeth. He let himself indulge in the moment, letting her warm breath brush over his lips. He reciprocated the kiss, parting and meeting her lips repeatedly and gingerly placed tentative hands on her waist.

Then a thought began niggling at the back of his head. He gently pulled away.

"Astoria, how did you know I was down here? I told Goyle and Blaise I'd be in the kitchen getting dessert." He looked at her with a curiosity written on his expression.

She chuckled, leaving her arms draped around her boyfriend's neck so he couldn't step back into the water.

"Well it wasn't easy, let me tell you that. I spent a good fifteen minutes waiting at the kitchen before coming to the conclusion you'd either not come there at all or already left. After that I went back to the common room to double check Goyle had actually been paying attention, but after Blaise backed him up I figured why not try the lake shores one time before giving up. And here you are." She smiled falsely.

"You went through all that effort just to find me? Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?" Draco asked her, somewhat puzzled.

Astoria pushed her bottom lip forward ever so slightly and batted her heavy eyelashes. "I just wanted to see you, is that a problem?" She chimed.

In return Draco simply kissed her again, evading the question.

"Now aren't I a great girlfriend, cheering you up like that." She concluded in a husky whisper as she pulled away. The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Sure." He attempted a half-hearted smile.

She stepped out of his grasp. "Sure? That's all I get for risking detention and wet feet?" Now she really did look offended.

_Well done, Draco, now you've set her off again._

"And don't even think about saying you didn't mean it like that!" She blurted as he opened his mouth to reply. He closed it abruptly, watching her in silence. The tension in her melodramatic stare was pushing him over the edge.

"Well then what the hell do you want me to say? If I'd have said anything else you'd still be pissed off at me! There's never any sodding pleasing you!" He finally erupted, all his built up rage exploding out. With that statement, he grabbed his socks, stuffed them into his shoes and stormed into the forest and back up towards school grounds, leaving an open-mouthed and dumbfounded Astoria Greengrass at the lake shore.

"Draco! Draco, what are you doing, where are going, leaving me like this?" She shrieked after him, but he wasn't paying attention. He concentrated on getting up the slope as fast as he could and away from his girlfriend.

By the time he reached the castle, Draco's robes were clammy and hanging untidily off his shoulder. He leant against the corridor wall, catching his breath. Once his heartbeat had slowed a little, he began to feel how cold and sore his feet had gotten and put his socks and shoes back on.

He felt dirty, grubby and sweaty, adding to his already atrocious mood, so he orientated himself and pinpointed the nearest boys' showers. He pondered over his behaviour towards his girlfriend as he slowly began walking along the corridor, not sure if he'd been in the right or just stooped down to her level of over-dramatising the situation.

A heavy sigh escaped his chest; today had been absolutely miserable, and with double potions tomorrow his mood was sure to only get worse. How was he supposed to put up with Slughorn's pathetic and self-involved ramblings for two whole consecutive hours? Not to mention Granger kissing his feet at every turn, and Weaselbee kissing hers. They were so sickly together; it was unbearable to be in their presence without eventually a wave of bile washing over you. Weasley was like her pet; Draco couldn't even begin to fathom if he had any pride at all underneath that bright orange mess of his.

"Ugh! Watch where you're going you imbecile!" Draco snapped at the person he'd just as inattentively run into.

Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Hooch met his grey eyes with her cat-like amber stare, icily penetrating his shocked gaze.

"Professor! Oh, I um ..." Draco stammered as he hastily stepped back from their collision.

"I think an apology is what you're searching for. Not to mention an explanation why you're out of bed after hours; many hours, might I add." She cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I'm waiting."

He hung his head, letting his messy hair cover his eyes and mumbled an insincere "Sorry." Could this day get any worse? It was like Karma was hunting him on his own broomstick, whilst he was running across a wet Quidditch pitch in only socks being chased by hexed bludgers with a broken wand in hand. That's how he felt.

"I'm going to take your silence as a lack of reasonable excuse to be out of bed, Mr. Malfoy?" Madame Hooch countered to the painful silence. Draco shrugged, boredom and misery on his face as raised his stare back to the yellow eyes opposing him. He was too tired to use his charm and intellect to get him out of this mess, and far too dirty and unmotivated to care.

"Very well, just as I suspected. 50 points will be taken from Slytherin. And you'll be serving detention polishing metals for the next week. Understood?"

A week? Brutal b-...! Who shat in her pumpkin juice, honestly! He tucked his chin in a feeble nod, exhaling slowly and coming to the conclusion she was in even worse mood than him - if that were in any way possible.

"Good. I'll be seeing you tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp in the trophy room. Don't be late, Malfoy. Now off to bed; and no detours!" With that Draco turned around and made his way into the dungeons, feeling a persistent stare in his back until he turned the corner to the narrow descending stone staircase.

_Don't even get a shower. Spectacular._

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><p><em><strong>Don't we all have days like that?<strong>_

_**Well, maybe not ;) Reviews?**  
><em>


	3. Detention

**Sooo I tried writing more from Luna's perspective for this chapter, at least for some parts, but not sure how successful it was ^^**

**I'll definitely keep working on that. Let me know what you thought!**

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><p>"... And remember your essays are due in on Monday!" Professor McGonagall called after her class, which had already stopped listening and packing up their things. Luna was still calmly putting away her books and quill by the time the classroom had been deserted. Once all her belongings had been carefully placed into her bag, she scanned her table, the floor and chair she'd been sat on, before peeking at the underneath of the table. "Have you lost something, Miss Lovegood?" Her professor peered over the rims of her glasses at her rather lost looking pupil expectantly.<p>

"No, no I don't think so." Luna perked up, her head still underneath the table. McGonagall raised her eyebrows, waiting for an elaboration, but Luna simply stood upright, glanced into her bag once more before slinging it onto her shoulder and casually skipped out of the classroom, causing the old woman to shake her head before returning her attention to the stack of unmarked homework before her.

"Luna!" At the call of her name she turned around, to find Ginny weaving her way through the overcrowded corridor. She smiled at her red-haired friend, picking a small, burgundy leaf out of her hair and inspecting it. "Hello Ginny, did you just have Herbology? Or was it a rather exciting Potions class?" She paused. "Would you still be needing this?" She indicated the leaf. "I'd quite like to make something from it, if you don't mind of course." She asked, finally looking up at her request.

"Umm, hi to you too Luna" Ginny laughed. "It was Herbology, but some of the boys decided it would be dead funny to make the storage cupboard explode its contents across the entire greenhouse." She rolled her eyes and huffed. "So anyway, I have to meet Harry before dinner; he says he's got something for me, a present." The pitch of her voice slightly increasing with contained excitement. She gave her friend a quick squeeze. "Oh, so I'll see you at dinner?"

"No I'm afraid not; I've heard its cauldron cakes for pudding today." Luna replied.  
>Ginny stared at her quizzically. "But I thought you love Cauldron Cakes?"<p>

"Well on an ordinary day I would, but I promised I'd help -"

"Look Luna, I'm really sorry but I have to go or I'll be late. Talk to you later!" Ginny waved over her shoulder as she headed back up the direction she came from, to which Luna raised her dainty hand a wiggled the tips of her fingers, paused for a minute and skipped off in the opposite direction.

Arriving at the tall, slim door opening into the Trophy room, Draco picked up his bag that he'd, been dragging across the grubby stone floor and dropped in onto his shoulder, before reluctantly raising his arm to knock on the hollow sounding wood. When the door creaked slightly as it edged a few inches into the room, he peered past the small gap and laid his flat palm against the door to open it. He stepped into the room, suddenly overwhelmed by the glimmer and shine in the room, caused by the reflections of the candles flames on the trophies.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in here. Then he recalled: Second year, just as he'd made the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Mark my words Flint; I'm going to get the most profound trophy placed into this room for being the best Seeker Hogwarts has ever seen!" He'd sneered at his captain.  
>Now he could only shake his head at his arrogance. What a naïve, sheltered and pampered brat he'd been.<p>

Suddenly there was a shadow of movement out of the corner of his eye, provoking Draco to instinctively pull out his wand and point it in the direction of what had started him.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" He released the breath he'd held and lowered his wand, before furrowing his brow into a frown.

"Hello Draco. I'm actua-"  
>At that moment Madam Hooch swooped in, her robe floating behind her until she came to an abrupt halt.<p>

"Good to see you're punctual Mr. Malfoy. I also see you've already met your assistant and supervisor?" She nodded in Luna's direction.

"My wh-"

"Is there a problem, Mr. Malfoy?" Her stare pierced his argument until the air left his lungs. There was a short but very tense pause between the two.

"Not at all, professor." He finally replied.

"Good. Miss Lovegood will supply you with polish and cloth, and she will report to me whether your work was efficient." Draco almost protested again, but shut his mouth again. _Well duh, like I'm going to be allowed to use magic in detention._

"If it is not, another night will be added to your detention. Understood?" As he silently nodded, she signalled to Luna once more before swooping out of the dim room the same way she had swept in, the door shutting loudly behind her as she waved her wand.  
>Draco let out an agitated groan as he piled his bag into a corner of the room that wasn't occupied by extravagant crystal and glass display shelves and let his robe slide off his shoulders.<p>

"Go on then, bring them over then." He glanced over his shoulder at Luna as he rolled up his shirt sleeves and loosened his tie. This was going to be a painfully tedious night.  
>He flinched back as Luna was suddenly standing in front of him, frighteningly close when he considered she was on the other side of the room just seconds ago. Her arms were outstretched, a bottle of foul smelling polish in one hand, a stained rag in the other.<p>

"Here you are Draco. Would you like some gloves with that? The smell of the polish can linger awfully long under your fingernails. Personally I don't mind all that much, but others find it rather unpleasant. It reminds me of my great aunt's perfume. She was a lovely woman." Luna blinked as she looked back at Draco, who returned her stare nonplussed.

"No thanks." He muttered. The thought of reeking hands wasn't something that particularly struck his interest, however he wasn't about to be seen wearing some dainty - if covered in smears - pair of gloves, by anyone. He took the objects out of Luna's hands and turned on the spot, indecisive about where to begin.

"How about we start ... there." She pointed to the bottom of a shelf in the left hand corner, holding a variety of fairly small, aged looking trophies. Draco shrugged as she flourished her wand to unlock the seals and lowered herself to the ground, kneeling before the self and delicately taking out the first trophy. Hesitantly, he followed suit, crossing his legs and poured an ample amount of the clear but poignant odoured liquid onto the cloth. He put the bottle down and also up a brass trophy; at first observing Luna dowsing her rag and then beginning to polish, then slowly with constant sideward's glances, mimicking her actions.

Several minutes passed in silence, the two of them engrossed in their duty.

"I hope you don't mind my asking," The sudden sound of Luna's voice in the quiet made Draco jump.

"But why are you here?" She looked at him, continuing the circular motions on the silver in her hand. "I'm simply curious as to what you've done to be here in detention with Madam Hooch. Was it something to do with Quidditch, perhaps?" Her always surprised gaze rested on his face. Draco didn't look up from his rag, concentrating on only polishing the metal as opposed to his hands; he considered how to respond, sighed.

"Nothing much, I was out of bed after hours and crossed her on my way back to the common room." He finally confessed as he placed the trophy back into the shelf and picking up another one.

"Hmm. A week's detention seems a little extreme just for that, don't you think?" Luna said after a short pause. Draco snorted with contempt.  
><em>As if I don't know that. I wouldn't be here at all if it was up to me, funny enough.<br>_She shrugged.

"May I ask what you were doing out of bed? ... Never mind, that was intrusive of me." Luna looked away, realising her tongue had been quicker than her thoughts once again.  
>Draco took her word for it and didn't answer, yet again plunging them into a long round of silence.<p>

After at least an hour, he began getting restless, his feet tingling with lack of movement. He shifted uncomfortably on the cold hard floor, his mouth opening and closing, unsure whether to break the silence.

"What about you?" He dared. Luna looked up at him, waiting. "What are you doing here? I mean ... I doubt you've also got yourself into detention as well, being my ..." He frowned, waving his rag. "... supervisor, and all?"

She giggled; a quiet, melodic chime.

"No, I don't have detention. I asked if I could do this." She smiled at him, as if it were obvious. "You see the polish we're using?" She said as he didn't respond. "I brewed it myself. It's made with Unicorn urine. It has incredible qualities to create shine on metallic objects." She glowed with pride.

"I'm sorry it's made from ... what?" He screwed up his nose in disgust. _It all makes sense now,_ he thought as he held the rag between his thumb and forefinger. _No wonder this reeks._  
>"I don't mean to offend you, Luna, but what the hell possessed you to try and brew a metal polish, with urine; of any kind? That's just vile!" Draco said puzzled.<p>

"Well it was Professor Slughorn's idea; he knows all these fascinating little things we never get taught during potions. He mentioned it when I noticed how my cauldron began to shine beautifully after some experimenting with it. So I thought I could put my discovery to good use, doing this. Have you not noticed how the trophies we've polished are gleaming so much more than before?" She held out a dented bronze goblet, and Draco confessed he could see his distorted reflection impeccably, raising his eyebrows and nodding in approval.

Luna's face lit up even more as she saw his approval, grateful an outsider -almost- understood the method behind some of her madness. As Draco put the dented bronze back into the back row of the shelf, he reached for another rather dull looking one. Luna did the same, neither of them paying attention that they were both reaching for the same object, and their fingertips grazed slightly.  
>The moment lasted less than a split second; Draco drew back his hand instantly, the invisible spark between them charging furiously through his body, re-awakening pain he'd long fought to bury.<p>

"Draco, are you alright? You're looking a little peaky to me." Luna's hand hovered where it had stopped, her gaze fixed with a worried expression on his face. It wore a shell-shocked expression, tiny pearls of sweat forming on his brow. She reached out her hand and laid it over his, but he drew it back even more frantically than before, stumbling to his feet. He froze for a moment, before charging out of the door on unsteady feet, leaving a perplexed Luna staring dumbfounded at the shrinking figure running down the empty corridor.

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><p><strong>Wonder what freaked Malfoy out so much? ;)<strong>

**Keep reading Potterheads! xx  
><strong>


	4. Nightmares

**So like I said, more Luna perspective!**

**Hope you like it!**

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><p><em>The crying never stopped at night. <em>

_He was always the only one awake, the only one pacing the cold marble hall. He didn't know why he paced. He didn't know why he didn't just remain upstairs, locked away occupying himself with a book, or something equally as useless. The pressure of everything had began grinding on his sanity; he wandered slowly to and fro in front of the door, night after night battling with himself, clenching and releasing his grip on his wand subconsciously, desperately wanting to unlock the door but always holding back out of fear._

_It had created a masochistic side within him, bubbling violently in the pit of his stomach, feeling her pain become his with every passing night, with every stifled sob. He was trying to offer comfort that couldn't be received, and wasn't even aware of this. _

_He just pictured her, isolated from daylight, warmth, comfort, with only strangers for company, stale bread and shallow bowls of murky water. Imagined how she hugged her knees to her chest, her clothes dirty and torn; her face tearstained._

Luna's eyes flew open. She remained perfectly still underneath her bed sheets, feeling her heart hammer against her ribcage, not daring to move a muscle until it calmed to almost it's normal rate, when she finally released some of the tension in her body.

_I'm running, running so quickly through the dark, damp maze, the panic in me rises as I meet a rusty gate at every corner I turn_

She swallowed painfully, ridding her mouth of the dry sensation caused by her disorientating dream.

_The soles of my feet are swollen, bruised and cut, striking the uneven floor audibly as my pace increases, and comes to a dead halt once again_

Luna cautiously wiggled her toes before pulling her legs up to her torso. She took in a deep breath, intentionally silent and slow. She closed her eyes again, waited for her pulse to slow a little more.

_I run into another gate. The surface of the bars is cracked and discoloured. I lunge myself at it, gripping them with my palms tightly, opening my mouth, yet nothing comes out but a horse whisper. "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP!" I scream inside my head until my throat hurts and I know my vocal chords are sore. I take my hands off the bars and inspect my palms. Tiny cuts appear, growing longer and deeper, the blood slowly protruding, and I just stand there, watching them. Alarm bells jingle inside my head, but I am suddenly calm, curiously watching as the crimson liquid seeps through my fingers and begins to drip onto the stone floor. My vision blurs; the outlines in the dark maze become indistinct. I'm crying. Why am I crying? I hear footsteps above me; pacing. The pacing stops; someone screams._

Luna opened her eyes again and glanced down at the bundle next to her nightstand. The Emerald lining contrasted against the black of the Slytherin robe in the sliver of moonlight that shone through the bottom of the heavy curtains. With a thoughtful sigh, she rolled over in her bed to face the other way and pulled her duvet to her chin.

_Curious, I haven't had that dream in months... _

"One marvels at the power of the subconscious mind." She finished her trail of thoughts in a quiet murmur, shifting uncomfortably as she wrapped her arms around her bedding. She laid there for a good while, her mind racing with nonsense, until her eyelids finally became too heavy and she drifted back into a calmer sleep, still hugging her pillow.

The nightmare had drained Luna's ordinary bubbly energy, leaving her feeling somewhat deflated and lethargic the next morning. She traipsed through the corridors to the Great Hall a little sluggish, laden with Draco's bag and his now neatly folded robe. As she arrived at the colossal doors, she stood in the frame for a few seconds as she scanned the Slytherin table briefly before she spotted him in his usual seat next to Blaise. She began striding towards the table when she noticed Astoria Greengrass on his other side, who seemed to find it impossible to keep her hands off Draco, constantly preening his unusually messy-looking hair and straightening his tie with a flirtatious smirk.

Luna slowed, reconsidering her actions. She recalled when Cho told her about Astoria threatening Pansy Parkinson with a Pimple Jinx for sitting next to her boyfriend one time in the library. Luna wasn't particularly afraid of the 1 year-younger Astoria; however she was in no mood to be on the receiving end of stares that could kill or unpleasant surprises. She had a feeling this day would prove to be difficult enough.

With that decision made, she briskly walked over to the Ravenclaw table and lowered herself onto the bench between Padma Patil and Su Li, glancing over her shoulder to the other end of the Hall before greeting her friends and helping herself to a portion of scrambled eggs, which she dowsed in Pumpkin syrup. Her friends exchanged repulsed looks, but knew better and eventually shrugged.

"Draco!" At the mention of his name he jumped, startled as he re-adjusted to his surroundings. He must have dozed off.

"Draco, are you coming or what? You know Vector is going to kill us if we're late again." Blaise said, rising from the bench and picking up his bag. As he looked around, Draco noticed the Great Hall was almost empty as everyone began heading to class.

"Err, yeah... I'll catch up with you." He uttered, running a hand through his hair. His friend shrugged, gave him one last pat on the back and walked towards the door. With a deep groan, he pushed himself off the bench and slowly sauntered towards the door. He brought his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, urging the shadows under them to disappear, not to mention to try and wake himself up enough to get through the day.

Draco had slept less than 2 hours last night, unable to fall asleep again after his memory had haunted him so that he found himself sitting upright, his T-shirt clinging to his chest and his heart rate increased considerably. And he thought he'd finally gotten over it.

"Draco!" Again, he started as he heard his name being called, but this time by a melodic, female voice. As he turned to face the direction from which the call came he almost bumped into Luna.

_This really isn't my week._

She held out his bag in front of her by the long strap with one hand, opening her eyes wide expectantly.

"Your robe is inside. I took the liberty of folding it up and putting it in there, as I thought you might not want to wear creased robes for the whole day, I hope you don't mind." She explained. He took the bag and opened it, grabbing the robe carelessly before putting it on.

"Thanks, I guess." As he looked at the girl opposite him, he noticed that although she looked as smart and presentable as ever in her uniform, she didn't have that energy she usually had: her hair was tied up into a simple ponytail and he spotted faint circles under her large eyes.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two, before Luna spoke up.

"I didn't tell Madam Hooch about yesterday evening. She thinks I let you go just before she got there, so you don't have to do extra detention. It seemed to me like you already have a lot going on and more detention wouldn't be very helpful." She smiled briefly.

"Thanks," Draco answered, a little surprised. "... Again" Luna shrugged, as if to say it was matter-of-factly.

She was just about to open her mouth again, as Draco spoke up. "Well, I've got class now, so I guess I'll see you this evening again." He said glancing over his shoulder to see that Blaise wasn't even in sight anymore. Luna nodded in answer and raised a hand quickly before walking past him and turning the corner towards the North tower for Divination. Draco sighed and walked in the same direction, taking a left turn instead towards Arithmancy.

Luna waited for the classroom to empty before approaching her professor. Tentatively, she stepped towards the jittery Sybill Trelawney. "...Professor?" Luna spoke softly.

A pair of extremely large, framed eyes met her gaze. "Yes, my dear?" Luna wasn't sure where to begin. Nervously, she shifted on her feet.

"Professor, I was wondering ... What can you tell me about recurring nightmares?" she looked down at her feet before meeting the eyes opposite her once more.

Her professor began to glow, obviously flattered a student was asking her advice outside of class; at least a student that wasn't Parvati Patil or Lavender Brown.

"Well, Miss Lovegood, as you know dream interpretation is one of the most vital components to Divination. Simply put, recurrent dreams or nightmares may be the most important dreams that one has, because your subconscious is desperate for you to understand the meaning of the dream with the purpose of ultimate resolution. For some people the outcome of the dream will change over the course of a few months and once the issue no longer is present, the dream will cease." Professor Trelawney said in her airy voice.

"I see," Luna began, considering what she'd just been told. "So, if the nightmare stopped, that would mean the root of it is disconnected, would that be correct?" she tried.

"I suppose so, yes." The professor replied, waiting for the pupil to go on.

"Then what would it mean if a recurring nightmare was to stop, and suddenly begin again after a long period of dormancy? Is that normal, professor?" Luna focused on keeping the tone of her voice neutral and to not raise it to reveal her concern.

"Well, nightmares often spring from traumatic events. So, logically speaking, if the event is ongoing, or unresolved, then so is the nightmare." She paused as she saw Luna's confused expression. "If there is a presence in your physical or spiritual life representing this terror, your nightmare will continue until you have made peace with it, or rid your life of it." Professor Trelawney let herself sink into her lumpy armchair and edged her crystal ball an inch to the left of the table with intricate precision, before looking back up at Luna with her ever-shocked expression.

Luna stood in silence for a moment, regarding the crystal ball and taking in what she'd just been told. As she straightened up, she thanked Professor Trelawney and gave a curt smile before turning to exit. As she made her way down the winding staircase, she pondered on her conversation with her professor. Most of it seemed highly logical, and was something most other people could have told her. But there was something else. Sybill Trelawney, renowned for her false predictions and dreary classes had spoken to her in a way so clear and profound, it was like she knew why Luna had asked; what the content of her nightmare entailed, and how to defeat it.

Luna wasn't sure at all how to go about setting herself free of those images, as it was not something she wished to relive again. But she knew that there had been a trigger; at least that was a start.

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><p><strong>Just as a footnote if it stuck out to anyone or caught someone's curiosity (I highy doubt it but heyyy): most of the dream bits Trelawney tells Luna about are in fact true, I did a little bit of research on bit<strong> **as to make sure I'm not babbling complete and utter horsecrap ALL the time at least ;)**

**So yeah, again, comment, subscribe, enjoy! :)x**


	5. A Good Day

**Hello my lovely readers! I apologise a gazillion million times for the dreadfully long long time I have not been publishing! I've just been incredibly busy, not to mention this chapter has proven to plague me with extreme writer's block -.-'**

**But now it is done, and things should hopefully pick up again! ^-^**

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><p>Draco walked out of his Arithmancy classroom feeling both refreshed and incredibly tired. The mental break from all his daily worries was a very welcome distraction. He felt focused on his work and content with the thought of having the rest of the day ahead of him, inspired to make the most of this mood.<p>

The hours flew past and before he knew it, it was lunchtime. To his surprise, his motivation had barely ebbed as he strode over to the Slytherin dining table with a small but visible smile on his face before letting himself drop in between Blaise and Theodore, who jumped slightly at his friend's sudden presence.

"Hey guys" Draco said whilst scanning the broad selection of food, his gaze resting on the large platter of chicken drumsticks before briefly nodding and filling his plate. Blaise and Theodore were still looking at their friend, baffled. Goyle stared past Blaise with a more disgusted expression. Draco looked up to his left just as he was about to indulge in his first bite. Theodore dropped his puzzled stare to his own plate and frantically scrambled with his cutlery that almost clattered to the ground in the process. Draco rolled his eyes, looking over at Blaise, who met his stare with a raised eyebrow and a somewhat worried expression.

"What?" Draco asked, finally taking a bite out of his first drumstick.

"Mate, don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're cheered up today, but you sure you're alright? I mean, you had the worst day for classes, and you're smiling? Didn't you just have Transfiguration with McGonagall?" Blaise asked sceptically. Draco shrugged.

"Yeah, wasn't too bad. We just copied from the book so it was quiet." Draco returned his full attention to his food, masking the relief he felt when he thought about what he'd just said.

Although McGonagall never treated him unfairly like Snape had always done with Potter, sitting in a classroom with the newly appointed headmistress was not easy, not to mention all the other students who had fought so valiantly to protect their lives and loved ones.  
>It stung more than a little to remember what a coward he'd been, hiding behind pillars and rubble; behind his parents, like a scared little boy. There was no honour left in his family, and everyone knew it.<p>

Draco swallowed the big bite he'd just torn off the bone in his hand audibly, and with it the acid memories he'd just conjured up.

_Having a good day, having a good day, having..._

At that moment Madam Hooch strode across the Hall, her frosty stare resting on Draco for an agonizing split second before she disappeared behind the doors. Draco groaned, remembering his detention this evening, and the three evenings following that. He gritted his teeth, eyes still locked at the space where the professor had swooped out moments before.

_Having a good day, having a good day. Having. A. Good. Day._

Despite his minor mood-dampener at lunch, the rest of the afternoon passed quickly and without any more distractions. By the time he headed back to the common room after Quidditch practise, he was covered in sweat and dirt, and he was utterly exhausted. Nonetheless he felt the day was nothing short of successful. Draco let himself collapse into an armchair in front of the fire, willing his body to absorb some of the heat. The evenings were still bitter cold in the early spring days, and more often than not accompanied by rain and fog. As he started warming up, he began to relax his body, releasing the tension and stiffness. He stared into the dancing flames, becoming hypnotised by their movement, and slowly drifted off into a comfortable doze.

Draco woke with a start as he heard the sound of girly laughter echo from the doors of the common room. As he blinked, he recognised his girlfriend and her friends coming back from dinner.

"Astoria, hey..." He said a little drowsily. As she saw him, she didn't reply, and her friends grew quiet.

Suddenly it struck Draco.

"Shit, Astoria, what time is it?" If they were coming back from dinner it must be at least-

"Half past seven or something... Why?"

"Shit!" He hissed, almost falling out of his armchair. "I'm late for detention with Hooch..." he mumbled as he began to run out of the common room, remembering to stop in front of Astoria and leaning in for a kiss, but she pulled her head back, a cool look of disgust on her face. Baffled, Draco looked at her.

"Not looking and smelling like that you don't." She gestured to his muddy uniform he still had on. "Not to mention after the other night you _definitely_ don't." She cocked her eyebrow and crossed her arms, and the other girls began to snigger into their hands.  
>Draco glared at them, shutting them up immediately before throwing one last disbelieving look at his girlfriend as he headed for the door.<p>

Draco fell into the Trophy Room noisily, slamming the door into the wall.

"So you decided to show up; that's ever so gracious of you." Madam Hooch greeted him without looking up from the crystal case she was admiring. Draco stood silently in the doorway, his breath caught in his throat from racing through the corridors, awaiting a continuation. He was growing weary of the professor's sarcastic attitude towards him - he was not used to having his own weapon used against him, and it was infuriating.

After a brief moment of silence, Madam Hooch straightened and turned to face the ragged-looking Malfoy.

"Miss Lovegood gave me very positive feedback about you yesterday, so as I'm feeling kind I won't add on the time you missed this evening." She said expressionless. Draco nodded, adding a hasty "Thank you" before she could change her mind.  
>The professor silently gestured to the polish and rag on the cabinet in the corner and strode out of the door past him before he could even ask if Luna would be his 'supervisor' again this evening.<p>

_Apparently not._

With a sigh he trotted to the cabinet to grab the items and set to work, briefly scanning the shelves of the cabinet Luna and him and started the previous evening. The candlelight bounced brightly off every piece of metal in it, indicating Luna must have finished the last few dozen that were left after he had bailed on her. A wave of guilt washed over him as he sat down in front of another cabinet.

At that moment he felt a tap on the shoulder and as he turned around he saw it was Luna, standing over him with the ever-present smile on her face and a handful of cauldron cakes. At the sight of the food Draco's stomach began to growl viciously on demand, making Luna laugh. She sat down next to him and outstretched her hand.

"I didn't see you at dinner so I assumed you came straight here."

Draco put down the cloth and took the cakes gratefully without a word. Luna looked at him with an amused look on her face as he devoured them at high speed.

"Did you just have Quidditch practise?" She asked lightly as she picked up the second cloth and got started. Perplexed, he looked up at her, to which she replied with a patient smile.

Only then did it occur to him, and his dropped his stare down himself. He was still in his muddy, sweaty Quidditch uniform. His face began to heat up as he realised he'd fallen asleep in the time he'd planned to shower and change. He grabbed a rag and quickly began to focus his attention on vigorously polishing a dent in a silver plaque, his head bowed to hide his flushing face.

_Pull it together man; it's just a dirty Quidditch uniform._

Draco's tense air settled after a few minutes of silence. Time passed by, and he found himself casually chatting to Luna about odd topics of conversation here and there occasionally, the comfortable silences in between were broken by a soft melodic hum from Luna, and before he knew it, she told Draco the two hours were up and he was free to go. As he looked up he evaluated that they'd managed to finish polishing one and a half more cabinets' contents. He was surprised to have such a glow of satisfaction within him, and he noticed how Luna reciprocated that feeling as he smiled at him. He smiled back, a small and unspoken 'thank you' for not letting Astoria ruin his evening, without even knowing that that's what she's done. It was like her aura radiated serenity and enveloped any negative feelings to a point where it was almost... well, magical.

He shook off his momentary daydream and headed towards the door, waiting for Luna to pass through first.

"So I'll see you tomorrow evening," Draco said as they reached the corridor intersection, knowing she had to head in the opposite direction to him to return to the Ravenclaw tower.

Luna stared vacantly past Draco over his shoulder without replying, head tilted only slightly, causing him to grow curious and look to see what she was staring at. As he noticed there was nothing but more stone corridor, he caught her gaze, confused.

"Luna?" At the mention of her name she snapped out of her trance and beamed at Draco.

"I thought I saw a pair of love-struck Pygmy puffs hide behind that suit of armour." She pointed past him.

"Pygmy-what?" he was even more perplexed now.

Luna laughed. "I could show you one next time we go to Hogsmeade; George has deliveries made to Zonko's now." As his expression didn't change, she added hastily "...that is if you're even interested in knowing. They're rather charming creatures though." And with that, she skipped off into the opposite direction, leaving a none-the-wiser Draco Malfoy stare at the back of her bouncing curls before she disappeared around the corner. Not sure of what had just happened, he turned on his heel, sighed and headed towards the Boys showers, humming lightly to himself.

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><p><strong>So thanks again for being so patient (not that you had much of a choice ^^) and yeah, if you liked it or not, please please review, I value every opinion and criticism! And for those who liked it, favorite &amp; subscribe! ;)<strong>


	6. The Guilt

The days following passed quickly and uneventful; Draco would attend his classes and in the evenings he would spend his detentions with Luna. He was glad to have her company. As they talked and laughed the time passed quickly, and the otherwise tedious punishment was bearable; even enjoyable. He found she had the most bizarre yet interesting things to say, and spoke whatever was on her mind without blinking an eye about being tactful. Something they had in common, he noticed... With the difference being she did it out of honesty; he generally did it out of spite.

He chuckled when he thought of this one evening, and Luna looked up at the warm sound. It was a sound she enjoyed hearing, maybe because it was rare to even make him smile.  
>It was odd, she thought to herself, how Draco and her have almost become friends through such unlikely events.<p>

"Have you spoken to Astoria yet?" She asked after a while. Draco's smile became sad. He knew Luna was an observant person, and of course it wasn't really a secret anymore that Slytherin's dream couple – as Pansy liked to call them – was frostier than an arctic blizzard, so he couldn't be mad at her for bringing it up.

He hadn't yet made an attempt to speak to her since the incident in the common room earlier in the week, but likewise, she made a point of avoiding him in a fashion that you couldn't miss. Like two days ago at lunch, as soon as he sat down at the table, she slammed down her cutlery and marched out of the hall; obviously not caring Draco was sitting more than 5 feet away from her anyway.

He sighed and shook his head. As he thought about the events of the past few days, he contemplated his feelings about the whole situation. On one hand, he really cared for Astoria and desperately wanted to fix things, but on the other hand he was just so tired of always fighting a losing battle with her. If it wasn't one silly argument, she would find another reason to create drama, and the stress just didn't seem worth it anymore.  
>"It'll come to you, in the end." Luna spoke softly. "What you feel is the right thing to do, will come to you." She shrugged, and laid her hand gently on top of his, and a rush of calm swept over him.<p>

"How do you do it?" Draco asked her quietly. "How do you always stay so ... relaxed, and optimistic? It's... It's ..." He fished for the right word.  
>Infuriating. Comforting. Impossible.<br>She removed her hand as she thought about this, tilting her head slightly to the side in that unique way whenever she was contemplative.

"After my mother died, I was always a bit sad too. She was my best friend and I missed her terribly; I suppose I still do. But my father was going through the same loss and, well we helped each other out, with the sadness. Things got better, and we became best friends, just like I was with my mother." She paused.

"I stay optimistic because I think life is a spectacular thing, and there are too many things to learn to make the world a grey place through misery."

Draco considered this, and after a brief moment he nodded grimly. He noticed how this conversation was knotting up his insides, the thoughts he'd had at the beginning of this week rearing their heads from their suppressed shell within him. He swallowed hard and pressed his lips together tightly, until he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"It's okay," Luna interjected quietly, as the words were about to come tumbling out of his mouth. "You don't have to say it." He looked at her incredulously.

"How-"

"You don't have to apologise; you couldn't have done anything, I know that, and I forgive you." She leant forward to find his gaze, buried underneath his hair. "You were as much a victim as I was. I know not everyone understands, but I saw your suffering, in your eyes. So it's okay. You don't have to say anything."

With those words of comfort she enveloped Draco in an embrace before he could even react. He stiffened, but as he realised she was leaning her head on his shoulder and not letting go, he sunk into her arms. As he did this he inhaled deeply and sighed. With the exhale of his breath he felt a weight fall away from him and relief filled his whole body. Leaning against Luna he closed his eyes and breathed steadily, bathing in his new-found peace of mind. The guilt he felt for so long was finally dissolving and fading away.

Gently she released her hold on Draco, and looked up towards the clock on the wall opposite.

"Merlin Draco, we've been here an hour more than necessary!" She exclaimed in surprise. She looked back at Draco and then towards the floor, before breaking out into hearty laughter.

Puzzled, he stared at Luna, but she couldn't catch her breath long enough to explain that he was sitting in a puddle of the foul-smelling polish that must have spilled, so she just pointed in between his legs and continued laughing.

Still puzzled, he looked at what she was gesturing to and gasped.

"Eurgh!" He cried and jumped up, trying to mop his trousers with his robes. Much to his dismay, the stain had hugged the crotch of his trousers perfectly with a damp shine for it to be misconstrued very easily. "This isn't funny Luna!" He scowled at her, but she was holding onto her side with one hand and wiping tears from her eyes with the other and not at all concerned by his frown.

"Fine." He said as he raised an eyebrow and calmly walked to the cupboard.

"What... What are you - doing?" Luna said between gasps of hysteria.  
>Draco turned around, a new bottle in his hand and slowly uncorked it, a sly grin on his face.<p>

"No, Draco...!" She squealed and got up to run away, but he waved his arm and the liquid splattered over her robes before she could escape. He smiled triumphantly, but Luna was too quick. Before he knew it, she had pulled her wand and with a flourish the bottle flew out of his hand and into her free one. Draco's smile disappeared and a look of concern clouded his eyes. "Okay we're square now, don't do anything..."

She took a step towards him, tilted the bottle upside down over his head, and the remainder of its contents poured onto Draco's head and down his face. He wore a look of resignation as he slowly raised his hands to wipe his eyes and was faced with a very satisfied, grinning Luna as he opened them.

"...stupid."

He looked at her, a menacing twinkle in his eye, but Luna was too fast. She took off into the corridor laughing, leaving him standing there somewhat dumbfounded for a second before he chased after her. He caught up quickly and grabbed her by the waist as he picked her up and spun her around with the momentum. Not letting go of her, he began rubbing his soaking hair into hers, making sure to keep a good grip on her as she giggled and tried to wriggle out of his embrace.

"If my hair is ruined, then so is yours!" he laughed.

Finally she managed to escape his grasp.

"Aguamenti!" Again, Luna had her wand at the ready, and before he even had a chance to respond he was soaking wet, and that same, surrendered expression occupied his face. He stood there for a moment after the spray had stopped, before spitting out some water he'd managed to almost ingest, raising his eyebrow at Luna.

"Now you won't smell so awful anymore," she chuckled and spread out her arms, waiting. Draco shook his head with a smile and drew his wand.

"Aguamenti!" She danced in the spray of water, shaking her pale-golden locks as she twirled on the spot. Draco laughed and lowered his wand, staring at an exhilarated Luna. For long moments they just stood there watching each other, standing in puddles that expanded as their robes dripped, when Luna shivered.

"I'd probably get back to the common room and dry off," she said as she pulled her wet robe around her as she shuffled over in Draco's direction. He watched this amusing ordeal until she was right in front of him. Once again, he wasn't prepared for her embrace, but after a second of his arms awkwardly hovering, he laid them on her back as hers laid on his.

"Yeah, me too. On second thought," he released their brief contact. "I'm going to have a _proper _shower. With soap." They both laughed.

"So, your detention duties are all over! You must be happy." Luna smiled at him and he nodded.

"See you around, Draco." She rocked on the balls of her feet for a moment before she twirled past him, waving as she went. He raised his hand the same way he always did and began heading towards the dungeons, too caught up in the concerns of his wet robes to notice an enraged Astoria hiding behind a suit of armour next to the stairwell.

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><p><strong>Dun, dun, duuuuuun! Where's a dramatic Gover when you need him ...<strong>

**Review, subscribe, favorite! ;)  
><strong>


	7. What, Just Happened

Draco ran his hand through his hair and ruffled it thoroughly as he entered the Slytherin common room, sending tiny water droplets spraying across the stone floor. As he looked up, his eye met that of a flabbergasted Blaise, quill frozen in mid air as he spotted his best friend.

"What the hell happened to you?" he finally managed to exclaim. Draco shrugged, a small smile on his face.

"Nothing. Detention was just a bit more fun than normal." At that response Blaise's perplexed expression melted into a mischievous grin. "Not like that, you tosser!" Draco rolled his eyes as he wound his way out of his wet robe and threw it at his friend.

"Uh-huh," Blaise nodded at him knowingly and tossed the robe back casually. "Well you tell that to your girlfriend. She's looking for you, so you better get dried up before she has another fit.

Draco's heart sank. He knew his friend was right; if Astoria saw him like this she would freak, no matter how reasonable the explanation – especially if his reasonable explanation was a play fight with another girl. He remembered Luna's words, and knew this was the time to try and sort things out with Astoria. So with that thought, he nodded at Blaise and headed for the showers to get cleaned up before she got back to the common room.

After a long, hot shower Draco finally felt clean and refreshed. He'd also given his robe a quick wash in soapy water, to ensure it wouldn't smell of unicorn urine for the whole day. One towel wrapped around his waist and his robe slung over his bare shoulder, he traipsed back into the now empty common room, vigorously rubbing his hair with another towel in his left hand.

As he stopped in front of the big fireplace he took the robe and spread it across the warm stone that cased the chimney flue so it could dry overnight. Normally he'd have washed and dried it with a simple charm, but after polishing all week without magic, he felt it was nice to actually do something little like this by hand. He admitted to himself that he'd felt quite accomplished after he'd seen the whole trophy room gleaming in the dim candlelight and recognised it as Luna's and his own time and dedication, causing a small smile to settle on his lips.

He turned to head up the stairs to the dormitories, but froze when he noticed Astoria stood right there underneath the arch leading to his room. She regarded him in silence for a moment before he took a step forward, about to open his mouth.

"Sit down." She interjected, her voice neutral, but trembling a little nonetheless. There was something about her calm exterior that made Draco think arguing with her would be counterproductive, and seeing as resolution is what he wanted, he did as she said. Silently he waited until she took a seat on the sofa opposite him, her eyes fixed on him but avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sorry about what happened down at the lake," he began cautiously as she regarded his bare torso without saying anything. "-but I've just been so caught up, with detention keeping me..." his voice trailed when he spotted the venom in her eyes as he said the word 'detention'. She was now staring straight back at him, her eyes piercing into his wide, grey ones.

He had no idea what he'd done, but he'd already managed to piss her off before he even managed to apologise properly. It's like it was a gift of his or something, he thought.

"How _is_ detention going?" she snapped sarcastically.

_Oookay, what the hell...!_

Taken aback, Draco opened his mouth to ask what she meant by that, only to be interrupted again before he uttering a single syllable.

"I saw you! With that stupid, blonde nutcase Lovegood!" she spat at him.

His jaw dropped. THIS is what she was on about? Come ON!

"You think I'm cheating on you with Luna." He stated monotone. She held his stare, a poisonous challenge in her eyes. "Astoria," he paused, collecting himself. The idea that he was having an affair with Luna was so ridiculous it took a lot of effort and a deep breath not to break into roaring laughter. "I promise you, there is _nothing_ going on between us. She was helping me-"

"Us?" she shrieked.

Oh boy, she was already hysterical. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park, that was for sure.

"And what about us?" She waved her hand between herself and Draco. "Hmm? Not once have you tried to apologise to me this week!" She was on her feet at this point, hands on her hips, glaring down at him. Mouth open, Draco stared at her.

"Well I'm trying now!" he said, his voice rising in volume as he struggled to stay calm.

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" she screamed. Stunned with disbelief, Draco closed his mouth, robbed of his counter argument. It seemed like a lifetime passed before he could think of what to say next.

"So, what?" he asked, a hollow echo in his question. Astoria dropped her arms without an answer. "You're breaking up with me over a stupid argument." As she didn't reply, he pushed himself up and walked briskly past her up the stairs. She caught his arm as he brushed her shoulder.

"Don't!" he turned, his foot on the step as he glared at her. Slowly, she let go, her mouth open as if to say something, but it closed swiftly. "Just – don't." He pulled his arm out of her limp grip and stormed up the stairs without another backward glance.

Draco's good mood from the week had vanished the instant he'd walked up the stairs to the dormitories, and it hadn't returned the next morning. He overslept breakfast and remained in bed over lunch, unmotivated to stir for any reason. It was the weekend after all, why should he?

_Quidditch practise._

At that thought his eyes flew open in an instant and he practically fell out of bed, tossing his bed sheets aside but not realising his feet were still tangled up in it, and fell face first onto the floor.

"Slow down, Seeker," Draco scooped his face off the solid wooden floor to look at a preoccupied Blaise, sitting on his own bed parallel to Draco's, his attention turned only to a copy of The Daily Prophet, his voice bored, before he lifted his head.

"Parkinson told me to tell you, that Davis told her Quidditch was cancelled. Something about Hufflepuff emergency practise, blah blah blah." He mimicked her voice at an over exaggerated pitch, creating an irritating whiny noise.

Draco was undecided whether to feel relieved that he didn't have to get up, or annoyed that he basically already was for a no longer valid reason. He settled for the latter, acknowledging his friend with a curt grunt and kicked the sheets off his legs. There was no point in returning to bed now, not to mention that his boredom had begun getting the better of him hours ago; he was naturally an early riser and liked to be up and busy, so remaining in bed out of pure stubbornness was agonisingly painful.

He moped over to the dresser opposite the foot end of his bed and dressed himself quickly over his pyjamas, feeling Blaise's silent stare burning into his back.

"Mate, -" Blaise started.

"No." Draco barked harshly before he could be offered a shoulder to cry on and strode down the stairs with his hands buried deep in his trouser pockets. Moments later, Blaise was still looking at the doorway where the thick hoody topped with a blonde mess of hair had just disappeared, and heard the heavy common room doors slam ferociously and with purpose beneath him. Ruefully, he sighed.

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><p><strong>The tension rises!<strong>

**So thanks again for all the support, alerts, comments etc. especially your patience, and please do keep it up! Much love ;)**


	8. A Turn Of Events

**Hello darlings, my most sincere apologies for the painful 6 months of silence. Basically, this chapter just really didn't want to be written; I simply couldn't find a plot that didn't make me cringe or remotely satisfied me. However now, the chapter is complete, and I'm well back on track with knowing what's coming next, so hopefully I will be publishing every weekend again. :) So without any further delay, read!**

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><p>Hermione put down her quill and looked up at her friend, not believing what she just heard.<br>"You, and Malfoy. Friends."

Luna had expected this, so she blinked before she replied, "Well, yes. Aren't you friends with Lavender now?" In a tone as if she had just suggested a minor weather change. Ginny's eyes grew wide as she tried to stifle a loud laugh.

"That's different! Besides," Hermione looked over both shoulders quickly before looking back at her friend. "We most certainly are NOT friends." She hissed. "I just thought she could use ... Less hostility. She's having a really rough time." She crossed both her arms and legs, pushing her bottom lip forward slightly.

"But Hermione, so is Draco. I know you've had your differences, but he really has changed. This war has been as hard for him as it has for us." She said gently.

"Of course it has." Hermione scoffed sarcastically under her breath as she scratched at her left forearm absent-mindedly. As she noticed what she was doing, she hastily pulled down the sleeve of her cardigan, shooting a quick glare at Luna, as if to say "I rest my case."  
>The three girls sat in silence on the grass opposite the Black Lake for a few moments.<p>

Slowly but surely, the climate had begun warming up, and temperatures that weekend had gotten high enough to spend an afternoon outside comfortably; the sun even shone through the thick cloud bank once in a while, casting an almost summery glow across the grounds.  
>Luna pulled at the wisps of grass around her when the silence persisted. She glanced over at her friends occasionally, but they were both preoccupied with creating their own little piles of greenery. She sighed quietly and got up.<p>

"Where're you going?" Ginny asked.

"To the kitchen. The thestrals have just had foals, and I haven't been to see them in quite a while anyway." Luna wiggled her fingers lazily to her friends and turned to go, but not before catching a quick glimpse of the colour flushing out of Hermione's cheeks at the mention of the creatures that were once invisible to her.

That evening at dinner as she looked over to the Slytherin table, Luna noticed that not only had she not seen Draco all day, but as she saw him now, he looked awfully worn. His hair was untidily tousled and his usual smart attire must have been tossed aside this morning and traded for a pair of faded jeans and a baggy, emerald green hooded jumper. He was slumped listlessly over his empty plate, not paying any attention to the wittering Pansy sitting opposite him.  
>So it's true, Luna thought. She'd heard euphoric and excited whispers in the corridors all day, but she knew how quickly minuscule rumours became incredible, juicy gossip and tragic drama amongst the girls at Hogwarts, so she chose not to pay any attention to it.<br>She decided that if she managed to get a moment with him alone, she would try and cheer him up a little. Of course, this was easier said than done. In the rumour mill, she had also heard that Astoria thought Draco was cheating on her with Luna, too blinded by a jealous rage to see reason. So Luna would have to be careful.

"Harry, I'd like to ask you a favour, if you don't mind." Luna tapped her friend on the shoulder before he had the opportunity to disappear to the Gryffindor common room after dinner.

"Sure, Luna, what's up?" he replied, slightly tentative. Luna's 'favours' tended to be of a wonderfully weird, or somewhat experimental nature.

"Harry, I need to borrow the Marauder's Map," she blurted quickly. Harry opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"That's it?" he asked slowly. "Can I ask-"

"Harry I'm dreadfully sorry but I am in a bit of a hurry. Could I tell you about it tomorrow?" she peered over her shoulder, seeing that the Great Hall was virtually empty by now.

"Ermm, okay. Yeah, sure." He shrugged, somewhat perplexed at Luna's urgency. He pulled the yellowed parchment out of his robe pocket and repeated to her the instructions he was told by Fred & George, just to be sure, although there were few of his closest friends who didn't know how to use and disguise it by now.

"Just, you know, be careful." He half-smiled as she tucked the map out of sight in her own pocket.

"Of course." She smiled. "Bye, Harry," she waved as she walked down the main stairwell. "Thank you!"She called back up, as Harry her quick-paced steps fade, and he turned on his heel with a puzzled grin to head to the Gryffindor tower.

Luna scanned the parchment in her hands, but couldn't see Draco's name anywhere. He wasn't in the Slytherin common room, the library; he'd left the Great Hall quite a while ago and there were no signs of movement down on the Quidditch pitch or anywhere else on the grounds. Determined she wasn't looking hard enough, Luna spent the next five minutes holding the parchment inches away from her nose, until she finally spotted his pacing footsteps on the outskirts f the Forbidden Forest by the muddy banks of the Black Lake.

"Mischief managed." She concluded in a hushed tone, and replaced the map in her robe pocket with a smile on her face.

Draco stood at the edge of the water, his bare toes beginning to turn a pale blue in the low temperature.

"Get lost." He slurred as he heard a gentle rustle of leaves behind him. Luna pushed aside a branch but remained where she was standing. He was standing with his back to her, facing the lakea. She noticed a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand.

"You're drunk." She said, matter-of-factly. At the sound of her voice, Draco turned around, a little too quickly, losing his balance for just a millisecond.

"Oh; sorry Luna..." his voice was nonchalant. "...thought you were somebody else." He mumbled as he stumbled slowly towards the large rock just up from the shore and letting himself drop onto it. After a brief moment of silence, she came and sat down next to him. Without lifting his gaze from the rising moon just above the horizon, he stretched out his arm sideways, offering the bottle of burgundy liquid to Luna. She noticed his hand was trembling lightly, so she took the bottle, unclasping his fingers gently and placed it behind her on a flat part of the rock.

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend, Draco." She said after a long moment of silence.

He looked at her, his pale eyes framed by puffy, dark red circles, his expression vacant. Luna laid her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. At the gesture he glanced at his shoulder and felt his eyes begin to burn up and his slight blurring. He quickly turned his face away, staring at the ground as he sniffed audibly and ran his sleeve across his face. He cleared his throat loudly to compose himself.

"Forget it, it's over and done." He shrugged hard as he turned to face Luna again, the motion shaking off her hand.

"I can leave, if you'd rather be alone." She suggested, her head tilted slightly in question. As he didn't respond, she laid her hand over his and gave it one last gentle squeeze before sliding off the rock to take her leave.

"Don't." He croaked. Draco took hold of her hand. "...stay; just a bit." Luna turned to see desperation in his eyes, greatly amplified by the excessive alcohol he'd consumed. Silently she sighed and then nodded, seating herself at his side again before she threaded her arm through the crook of his elbow.

"You'll be alright." She murmured in her reassuring tone as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Draco inhaled deeply, his body shaking as he tried to steady himself. He could smell a sweet, spicy fragrance when he rested his head on Luna's. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lingering in the moment of tranquillity.

Just then, a piercing, rage-filled scream came from among the darkness of the trees. And before either of them could react, a flash blinded them both.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

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><p><strong>So as I said, this is probably the only plot I came up with that I liked, but I would really love to hear what you thought, so pleasepleaseplease do review, and of course subscribe &amp; favorite if you like it!<strong>


	9. Memory

**Well by now I'm sure we all agree that my time keeping is frankly shocking and my excuses meanlingless. So I apologise briefly, and hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Draco woke with a start, blinded by the bright white around him. He squinted drowsily, trying to make out where he was. His eyes slowly began to focus and he made out the outline of a white bed frame on its side. He was in the hospital wing. It took him a few seconds to realise his head was resting on the side of another bed and he was sitting in a chair. He began to prop himself up and instantly regretted it, groaning in agony as his head started throbbing relentlessly. The pain caused his vision to blur again and he strained to stay conscious and focused, pressing his hand against his head.<p>

"What the-" he flattened his hand against his head and felt a thick layer of bandages wrapped around it. Draco's confusion grew. What caused him to have bandages on his head? He barely remembered anything from last night, no doubt a consequence of the ridiculous amounts of Firewhiskey he'd consumed. As he looked around, hoping for someone to tell him what happened; he finally noticed a tangled mess of blonde curls in the bed before him. But the sight that bode him knocked the breath out of his lungs. Luna lay in the hospital bed Draco had found himself leaning on. Her face was unnaturally pale, draining even the blush out of her lips. Her arm uncovered by the sheet was scattered with long, silvered scars. Some looked deeper and fresher, protruding slightly from the skin pinkly, others years old, almost invisible. Draco figured the rapid healing was down to Madame Pomfrey's nimble skill, as scars like that were too obvious to have never been noticed before; and he was a very observant person. As Draco looked closer at Luna's disfigured skin, he began to slowly pull up his own sleeve, dreading to recognise the scars on her skin on his own. Taking in a deep breath to calm his ever-increasing pulse, he took Luna's hand, feeling his heart beat in his throat as the undeniable pang of guilt swallowed him whole. Just then, another blinding headache overcame him, so much that every muscle in Draco's body tensed up. As he gripped his head in agony, unable to utter a breath, the white-hot pain overwhelmed him, and he collapsed to the ground.

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><p>When Draco came to, he was no longer in the hospital wing. He found himself standing down at the lake, where he usually came to gather his own thoughts. But something was different. Everything looked as though he was peering through a thin veil, and he squinted in an attempt to make it disappear, unsuccessfully. With a sigh he began to approach the large rock to sit down, only to stop in his tracks as he noticed it was already occupied. From behind he saw a slumped figure, obscured by the veil, appearing as more of a shadow silhouette than a person. Draco tried to attract its attention by calling to it, but the sound remained in his throat, so that only a strained breath escaped his mouth.<p>

"Who are you?" His lips formed the words again, but to no avail. Frustrated, Draco crossed to stand in front of the figure. It didn't move. He tried waving his hands, but nothing happened. Finally, he'd had enough. As Draco advanced towards the figure, it slowly lifted its head. Its face was covered by tangled wisps of pale hair. And not until its gaze met Draco's, did he realise he was staring into his very own eyes. Then the familiar surge of pain washed over him once again, forcing him to his knees. He looked at the shadow, a plea in his eyes, begging for it to do something. For a moment, it remained were it was, watching Draco clench his jaw, grip his hair as he curled over. Then, slowly it stood up, stepped towards him, raising an arm, and placed its fingertips on his forehead. The touch was unbearably cold, and Draco couldn't hold in the scream any longer; it echoed through the tall treetops and spread far across the lake.

Then, suddenly, the pain was gone again. As he opened his eyes, he was now standing upright, looking down at the shadow, curled on the floor, its hands clasped on its head, before it disintegrated into a wisp of black smoke. With it, the silvery veil that clouded Draco's vision disappeared, but instead of becoming clear as he had expected, it shifted focus, as if he were crossing and uncrossing his eyes, and he felt himself sway lightly with lack of balance.

Suddenly completely indifferent to everything, he walked over to the edge of the water. He remained there gazing at the sky, rippling on the water's surface.

"Get lost." He slurred as he heard a gentle rustle of leaves behind him.

"You're drunk." A chime-like voice stated. At the sound of the voice, Draco turned around, a little too quickly, losing his balance for just a millisecond. Luna stood opposite him, her pale hair almost glowing in the moonlight.

"Oh; sorry Luna..." his noticed his voice was extraordinary nonchalant,"...thought you were somebody else." he mumbled as he stumbled slowly towards the large rock just up from the shore and letting himself drop onto it. Sitting down, Draco's head created the illusion as though everything around him was rotating both in slow motion and high speed at the same time, but in completely different directions. He felt his stomach contract in protest, and swallowed dryly to keep the bile down.

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend, Draco." He had almost forgotten Luna was still there and her voice startled him. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, and he winced.

"Forget it, it's over and done." He snapped at her, and immediately regretted his harsh tone.

"I can leave, if you'd rather be alone." She said after a moment. Draco's nausea increased when he felt a sudden surge of anxious panic wash over him. As Luna got up to return to the castle, he instinctively grabbed her hand, his thoughts desperately searching for something appropriate to say.

"Don't." He blurted, feeling his throat close up while Luna blurred before him as he felt the tears fall uncontrollably down his cheeks. Ashamed to have acted so impulsively and needy, he quickly lowered his head and brushed a sleeve over his face, but did not withdraw his hand. Seconds later, he felt her arm weave through his and her weight on his right ride. Draco felt a warm, comforting sensation spread across his whole body, running all the way into his fingertips. He sighed contently, feeling the drowsiness of the alcohol fade through Luna's touch; it was as though she was draining it from him in her tranquil way.

The snap of a twig brought Draco out of peaceful daze and he instinctively scanned the darkness, his muscles tensing visibly.

"Draco, are you-"

"GET DOWN!" Draco grabbed Luna and threw her to the floor to avoid the flash of light hitting her. It cut its way across the darkness from the trees and had been aimed directly at her chest. His body curled over Luna's protectively, his hands clasped firmly on his own head, his face slamming into the dirt for a millisecond before he intuitively reached for his wand and pointed at his opponent.

"Astoria! What the-" His arm relaxed slightly as he found himself caught off guard by the realisation of who opposed him.

"I knew it; you're with that fucking slut! You bloody liar!" She flicked her wand and Draco barely had time to block the sparks that shot at him.

"Astoria, what the hell is wrong with you! You've lost your fucking mind!" Draco scrambled to his feet, never lowering his wand. His words unleashed a blind rage in her and she raised her wand in a grand ominous gesture, but this time Draco was more prepared. "Flipendo!" While she flew back and landed with a dull thud, Draco took hold of Luna, who was still on the ground, and pulled her roughly to her feet and started pushing her up the hill as quickly as he could manage and stumbled behind her. As he turned to glance over his shoulder her saw a mud covered, raging Astoria let out a piercing scream and point her wand in their direction once again. Draco raised his wand but she was quicker.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" the light flashed past Draco, blinding him. He stopped in his tracks and blinked. Luna lay before him, deep incisions appearing all over her body, soaking her robes quickly in her own blood. Her grey eyes were open wide and her breath was shallow, desperately trying to take in oxygen. Her body shook uncontrollably with adrenaline as Draco collapsed at her side. His mind and heart were both racing, his hands hovering helplessly over her body, the panic in his eyes.

"Shit, shit, shit. Astoria, what the fuck have you done?" he turned to roar at her. Her face was puzzled, and the satisfied smile faded quickly when she got a glimpse of Luna's crimson streaked hair. It dawned on Draco that she clearly had had no idea how powerful that spell was.

More worried about the dying girl in front of him, Draco scooped up Luna as delicately as he could and raising her so her head rested on his chest instead of drooping lifelessly. Then he ran as fast as he could toward the dim lights flickering in the castle corridors.

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><p>With a forceful push, Draco felt himself being flung back hard onto stone floor. Everything was excessively bright around him and the nausea he had felt not long ago took over with a tenfold intensity that caused Draco to double over and empty his insides violently. When he felt the content of his stomach was all in front of him finally, he attempted to stand up, but found himself unable to control the ferocious shaking and sweating so much that he simply collapsed.<p>

_It's my entire fault. How could she be so stupid? She could have died. What if she never wakes up? What if she does die? If only I realised... if I hadn't drunk ... I could have..._

Thoughts raced through his mind at extreme speed; incomprehensible, nonsensical, full of self-blame and guilt.

"Malfoy, what are you..." His head whipped round to catch the eyes of Hermione Granger. Her eyes were filled with disgust. Draco slowly pulled himself up, leaning heavily on an empty hospital bed.

"Granger... it's all my fault. I should have stopped her. I..." Hermione could see the self-hatred in his eyes, and her solid stare softened.

"Get cleaned up, you look awful and smell even more revolting." She paused; sighed. "I'm here now, and I'm going to sit with her, so go."

Draco didn't have the energy to stand up, let alone begin an argument. He nodded and made his toward the doors of the hospital wing, the whole way plagued by the voices screaming at him inside his head.

_It's your entire fault._

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><p><strong>So yeah, certain parts took me long to 'perfect', and your opinion means a great deal to me, so reviewsubscribe/favorite! :) x  
><strong>


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